The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-31
LOST JEWEl- RY.
The Story of a Watch That was
Dropped and Recovered.

Dropped and Recovered.
NEW York, Oct. 20 any person
wants to get an idea of how difficult it is for
two strangers TO meet in this city, even
when DESTROYS of doing so, let him watch
the Lost and Found" columns of the New
York newspaper for time, He will find
there the same articles described at the same
time among the lost and the found. 1t
would seem natural that the woman and
the finder would come across each others
advertisements and thus come in communi-
cation with each other. BuB the chances
are more than even that they will not as
the student of those columns will soon
observe if he watches faithfully.
was very much puzzled by this peculiar
state of affairs and could in no way account
for it until one day became personally in
terested, and then found out l was walk
ing along Broadway and had reached the
railroad Office at the southeast corner of
Broadway and Twenty third street, when |
kicked something on the sidewalk That
something had been quietly repoSing III
the shadow of the buildings, and was
propelled by my foot across the walk and
under the glare of the electric light.
naturally looked down and was naturally
startled. The object thus unceremoniously
whirled across the unrelentng pavement
was a delicate gold watch such as ladies
wear.
| would not have been more astonished
had it been Queen Victorias crown. In
what was at that hour the most trequented
spot in New York, where thousands OF
people passed and repassed every hour, had
stumbled against an article OF value which
had lain in the direct pathway of the
multitude 1t was watch that could easily
be identified, being one of the old-style
open faced Swiss timepieees, with a gold
dial and gold hands and figures. Further
more attached to it was broad bow OF
black watered silk ribbon. The pin which
had been used to more securely tasten 1t TO
the wearer's dress was still sticking IN the
ribbon. Surely no stronger means of identl-
fication could be asked.
That night sent paragraph to the Sun
which stated explicitly that lady's watch
had been found at Broadway and Twenty
third street and awaited its owner. 1t was
printed in prominent place in the paper
the next morning but nothing came OF 1t.
then inserted an advertisement IN the lost
and found columns of the Herald, but that
also went for naught For whole week L
searched the columns of every newspaper in
the city, in the hope of finding some wo.d
from the owner but all without result.
Then | made up my mind that for some
reasons the owner had not thought it worth
while to advertise his loss, and | laid away
the watch.
I should very probably have forgotten
all about the matter had ] not happened to
discuss my experience with friend one
night a week later.
"Whv, | saw the advertisement OF that
watch recently he said.
| aske him when and where he had seen
it. hunted it up and found a notice OF
watch that had been lost which seemed to
correspond with the one | had found 1t
had been inserted two DAYS after had be-
come wearied of my fruitleSs search and had
ceased to look The notice requested that
information of the watch should be sent to
TX. Y ~ at the Herald Office. at once
wrote there, inviting the advertiser to call
and identify his property. A week elapsed
and as had received no reply, | again
gave up all hope of finding the towner A
call at the newspaper Office elected no in
formation. as the advertiser had not left his
name or address, but had stated his inten-
tention of calling for the answers.
Another week had passed and the matter
had entirely escaped my mind. when one day
the owner walked into nay Office. There was
no mistake about it, The Identification was
complete Three weeks had elapsed between
the finding and the restoration of the watch,
and it would nevCr have found its way back
to the owner had mot taken such particular
pains to find him.
OF course | was much interested to learn
the cause of the delay in our meeting. IL
seemed that the watch belonged to the wife
of the gentleman who called to see me- 1t
had been dropped on their way from the
Madison Square Theatre to their home at
Granercy Park. Mrs. - did not remember
having worn the watch. and therefore did
not miss it then 1t was nearly week
later, after having vainly ransacked the
house for it, that she recollected when and
where she had last worn it. That was the
reason for the delay in the advertising.
They did not expect to get it back then
and did not think of looking through the
files of the newspapers for advertisements
concerning it. As they received no answer
for the three days following the insertion of
their notice they gave up the matter as
hopeless The gentleman happened to be
passing the Herald office the day he called
on me, and with little expectation of reward
stopped in to see if there We're any more
answers for him. In that way we finally
met. OF course, we 'Smled" over the re-
suit.
In talking over the occurrence with an
old-established ieweler | learned that very
little iewelry that is lost in this city is ever
recovered. That, of course, means that an
enormous amount of jewelry changes hands
every year without the consent of the
owners. A study of the lost and found col
I0llS Will again SHOW JlldU MY own cast,
| am assured, was only novel in that the
owner was finally found
During the time | was looking for him
any number of persons who had lost gold
watches presented themselves. All kinds of
watches had been lost, from $500 diamond
studded hunting case to a gold washed
cbatelaine Four of the anxious inquirsrS
had reason to believe that their watches
were lost in or near Madison square, and
the diamond affair was lost in a Broadway
car.
OF course many of them may have been
stolen. Some were found by persons who
did not come to find the losers. But
detectives and jewellers agree that very
possibly the lost and found advertisements
appeared at or about the same time, per-
haps in different papers, but nevertheless,
in such manner as to make it appear
reasonable that the loser and finder would
come together Something, which would
probably have appeared reasonable if dis
covered, interfered to prevent the one from
learning of the other.
The law does not make it imperative for
the finder to over-axert himself to get the
owner. Reasonable effort on his part is
sufficient. 1t is necessary for the owner,
however, to use diligent effort in recover
ING his property. If he demands it, it must
be returned If no owner appears the title
rests in the finder JOHN HOE.
THE BOULANGER MARCH.